Optitek Prolock.... Now what?

W

WestView Digital

Active member
I just got the Prolock and a Tokina 11-16. I love having a wide angle lens available. I currently only have the Tokina and the Sony Prime set. I know there's been a lot of discussion about preferred Nikon lenses but I was wondering why some of those lenses are preferred... specifically the 17-55 and for what use.

The first bit of shooting I did with the Tokina - I really liked the wide angle and the sharpness but I think the Sony Primes have a more "cinematic" look to them and the Tokina has a sharper - more vivid look.

I do a mix of commercials and industrial videos but now I possibly have the opportunity to DP a very low budget feature.

So for those of you who are using the prolock which lenses do you use and for what purpose? I'm not as interested in how the mechanics feel or does it breathe or that type of evaluation - I want to know what you like about the look the lens gives you.

If I'm going to shoot this feature - I want 'more cinematic' if that makes sense. Hopefully you aren't all going to recommend master or ultra primes - just don't have the budget for those things - that's why I got into the Prolock. ;)
 
"More cinematic" is an incredibly subjective term. It would help if you were able to list objective criteria that matter to you.

That said, it sounds like you equate shallow depth of field, and beautiful bokeh as being "more cinematic." Wide lenses are going to tend to give you a sharper, deeper picture. You can combat this by opening the lens wider, moving the focal point closer to the camera, or - if shooting a wide background - placing an out of focus object in the foreground.

It's worth noting, the Tokina 11-16 is so wide that it has soft corners - at least according to Ken Rockwell (i don't own one). This "look" may not be consistent with your other lenses. The wider the aperture, this may be more obvious.

I love my Ultra Primes, but for years I had the Zeiss ZF Nikon mount lenses. For the price, they're unbeatable - and they can be cinemoded by Duclos. Some people are now recommending Rokinon. I haven't used them.
 
Everyone will have a different opinion on this, but in my opinion the more cinematic look is in the longer lenses. More Bokeh of the background to make the audience pay attention to the subjects, etc. Also, certain scenes call for different fields of view.

Two local authors during a book tour.
 

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Thanks all... I bet most of it also has to do with not only the inherent look of a shorter lens but the lighting.... I'm basing this on the one shot I've used the 11-16 for, which was outside on a flat sunny day. Not very "cinematic" lighting.

How's this to rephrase the question: Do you feel like you can get good 'cinematic' results using nikon-mount lenses - which ones?
 
I still take question to the broadness of the word 'cinematic', but the Zeiss ZF primes are excellent. The 35, 50, and 85 are all f1.4, the 100mm is f2, and the 25mm is f2.8.

But the common impression of 'cinematic' has just as much to do with elements other than the glass: shutter speed, film grain, camera motion, etc. And even the traits related to the lens, may have more to deal with focal length and aperture than any specific model or manufacture.

Most movies, most scenes, are going to be shot in 24fps (or 23.98), using a 180 degree shutter (1/48 second), somewhere between T3.5 and T5.6 on aperture. As for focal length, pick that lens that tells the story you want. That said, I've done entire shoots using a 50mm almost exclusively.

Try things. Borrow lenses, see what you like. It's a craft not a science.
 
I have been really happy with a set of Leica R lenses converted to Nikon mount. They're sturdy with steel/brass construction, have nice long focus throws in most cases (opposite direction from Nikon) and smooth out of focus areas. They're very close to each other in terms of color, with slight contrast differences based on the age of the lens and coating technology used.

Favorites are the 15/2.8, 28-90 zoom, 70-180 2.8 zoom and especially the 100 2.8 macro. The 35, 50 and 80 are 1.4, all others are 2.8 except the 28-90 which is not a fixed aperture.

Edited to add - link to a video we shot in India using all the Leica lenses. It's more a documentary piece but will give you a look at a result using these lenses: https://vimeo.com/47159909
 
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Lenses are nice tools to create a "look and Feel" but don't underestimate the Lighting and the camera settings you use.
For me one of the things that makes an image more or less cinematic is the amount of detail you use for instance.
play around with these parameters before you buy all sorts of glass.
And the Nikkor 17-55 is a great all-rounder for the money.
 
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